Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 2:07 am Post subject: I would like to work in Malaysia

Hi all,

I'm new to the TEFL industry, and am looking for some tips and advice on getting my foot in the door.

I'm a native English speaker from Canada with a B Comm. and am hoping to obtain a TEFL certificate in the near future..

I just a had a few, basic questions, and if anyone could point me in the right direction, it would be greatly appreciated.

NOTE: I do not mind working for a lesser salary as a newbie, nor do I mind working in remote or less desirable regions such a Kelantan. (In fact I probably prefer this to the big city life in places like KL)

1) Is prior teaching an absolute must when applying for work in Malaysia?

2) Would it be advisable to fly out to Malaysia and look for work in person? If so, what is the best time of year to do that?

3) I am debating enrolling in a 120 Hour Online TEFL program that includes an In-Class Practicum (http://www.ontesol.com/tefl-certificate/). Would this be sufficient for finding work in Malaysia?

4) Should I consider taking a TEFL Certification program in Malaysia, and look for work while I'm completing the course? If so, does any body know of any reputable courses, for somebody on a budget?

Any other tips of advise for a newbie trying to teach in Malaysia would be greatly appreciated...

I did a CELTA in Bangkok, Thailand recently. It was cheaper than in Malaysia, and of EXCELLENT quality. Bangkok is cost-effective for living as a student.

IH (my course) and several others offer the program and believe me, it is a 4 week grind. LOTS to do to complete the program, but you get supervised teaching lessons as well as plenty of practical handouts.

With the CELTA you will be well-positioned to find ESL work anywhere in Asia. Get it before you move to an ESL job that does not pay well, and for which you don't have much background...

I question this too and would have to ask for evidence of how Indonesia is more vibrant and culturally diverse. For the latter, Indonesia has ten times the population and six times the land mass of Malaysia, but this would hardly be noticeable by a TEFLer in Jakarta or Surabaya, would it? I also think one poster above bases his opinion on bad experiences in Malaysia rather than knowledge of Indonesia.

Joined: 21 Apr 2014Posts: 171Location: has served on a hiring committee

Posted: Wed May 14, 2014 1:30 am Post subject:

gloomyGumi wrote:

adaruby wrote:

wailing_imam wrote:

My tip is:

Indonesia is much more vibrant and culturally diverse than Malaysia.

Are you sure?

yes he is and so am I.

Well, Malaysia has the dominant Malay population and millions of Chinese and Indians, as well as more recent arrivals such as Bangladeshis, Nepalese, Burmese, Iranians, Vietnamese etc. Then you have Borneo, which is made up of many more (mostly Christian) ethnic groups.

Wiki has the current total of languages spoken in the country at 137 for Malaysia, and 700 for Indonesia. However, a little further research (thanks Wiki) states that 95% of ethnic groups in Indonesia are of Indonesian ancestry, so my point still stands: as a snapshot of the world, I think Malayia is more culturally diverse.

Let's all say a country of nearly 30 million people "sucks" because one poster didn't make it there, shall we? Living in a few different places teaches, or should teach, you that all countries have good and bad points, and to sum up a country with "it sucks" shows a lack of effort.

Indonesia is a hundred times more diverse than Malaysia. You have everything from the sharia-law of Aceh to the Melanesian Christians of Papua. In between you will find some 200 different language groups (many of them now endangered).

I like Malaysia, but it is more "tri-cultural" in terms of Malays, Indians and Chinese than a true cultural kaleidoscope of Indonesia. Indonesia, the giant of South-East Asia, has more for the true explorer.

Malaysia vs. Indonesia. Let's put aside the cultural benefits for a moment and look at practical living experiences.

The internal bureaucratic / government / system of Indonesia is a primitive. I have lived in Indonesia for 5 years and am now applying for a job in Malaysia and need a Criminal Reference Check from Indonesia.

My Indonesian wife and I have now been to 5 government offices and have not yet finished the process. I had to pay 700,000 rp to make the process go faster as I have a deadline to get to Malaysia. After I get one document I still need to go to Jakarta to get the final document. I live in central Java so after plane, hotel, taxi corupsi and meals, this stupid piece of paper will cost me nearly USD 300.

When you look at the Malaysia website on the same process, it is one office and one fee.

So, when considering "Cultural differences" and what country "sucks", I'd rather go with an organized, less corrupt country than a primitive country where they still fingerprint with ink and ask for 5 photocopies of every document.

I have several friends who work in Malaysia, who have lived in Indonesia, and they generally agree that it is much more efficiently run, especially when it comes to paperwork etc.

One problem is efficient countries are less exciting than diverse ones, and in some cases they lose part of their cultural identity through modernization, and efficiency, (Te strip Mall replaces the local market mentality).

If you like adventure, then less efficient countries tend to be more exciting places,

Malaysia seems to be, not as efficient as Singapore, and less chaotic than Indonesia. A happy mix I guess.